Many cats can board while taking medication, but the routine needs to be clear, safe and realistic. The most helpful information is not just the dose; it is how your cat normally accepts the medicine and what happens when they do not.
Because our boarding cattery operates within a veterinary clinic, medication notes can be connected with health concerns when needed. That is useful for cats on long-term treatment, recent medication changes or medicines that depend on appetite.
Medication should arrive clearly labelled with your cat's name, the drug name, dose, timing and storage instructions. Original packaging is safest because it reduces confusion and keeps prescription information visible.
Please do not bring loose tablets in unlabelled containers. If tablets have already been split or organised into a pill box, also bring the labelled packaging so we can confirm what they are.
Check the bottle, packet or tube before the boarding date. If there is not enough medicine for the full stay, arrange a repeat prescription before drop-off rather than assuming it can be sorted later.
This is particularly important for long-term pain relief, insulin, thyroid medication, seizure medication, heart medication and eye drops. Running out during boarding can turn a preventable supply issue into a health risk.
Instructions such as twice daily may not be enough. Tell us whether the medicine is hidden in food, given by hand, crushed, followed by a treat or only accepted from one person at home.
If your cat spits tablets out, drools, hides, bites, refuses medicated food or becomes distressed, say so. That helps us decide whether the routine is realistic during boarding.
Tell us the timing your cat is actually used to at home. Morning and evening can mean different things in different households, and some medicines need more precise spacing than others.
If your cat is used to medicine hidden in a particular food, bring that food if it is safe and appropriate. A successful home routine is worth preserving where possible.
Some medicines should be given with food, and some are unsafe to give if a cat is not eating. This matters especially for diabetic cats, pain relief, anti-inflammatory medication and some long-term treatments.
Tell us what you normally do if your cat refuses a meal. Do not assume the same dose should always be given regardless of appetite unless your vet has specifically instructed that.
Drops and injections need clear timing, storage and handling notes. Tell us if your cat resists head handling, ear handling or injections, because forcing treatment can make a nervous cat harder to care for.
For insulin, include the current dose, timing, food routine and what has happened with recent glucose checks. Insulin and appetite cannot be treated as separate issues.
If the medicine, dose or timing has changed recently, contact us before boarding. A cat who is stable on a familiar routine is different from a cat who has just started treatment or had side effects.
Recent vomiting, diarrhoea, poor appetite, sleepiness, wobbliness, thirst changes or behaviour changes may affect whether the stay should go ahead as arranged.
Let us know if a medicine has caused vomiting, diarrhoea, drooling, sleepiness, wobbliness, appetite changes or behaviour changes. These signs may affect how closely your cat should be watched.
Also tell us what your vet has advised if a dose is missed or vomited. That instruction is much safer than guessing in the middle of a stay.
Tell us what your vet has advised if a dose is missed, spat out or vomited. Some medicines can simply wait until the next scheduled dose, while others need more specific advice.
This is much safer than guessing during the stay. It is especially important for insulin, seizure medication, heart medication, pain relief and medicines linked to food intake.
If giving medicine has become a struggle, contact us before the stay. A cat who cannot be safely medicated at home may also find cattery dosing stressful.
Sometimes there are alternatives, timing adjustments or handling approaches that can help. Sometimes a review is needed before boarding so the stay does not become a daily battle over treatment.
Sometimes the boarding stay reveals that a medication routine is becoming difficult, painful or unreliable. That does not mean anyone has failed; cats change, and long-term treatment routines sometimes need to be adjusted.
If medication has become stressful at home, ask us before the stay. A review may make boarding easier and also improve the routine after your cat comes home.
Early preparation for diabetic cats and cats with more complex treatment routines.
How food routines are handled while your cat is staying with us.
When a health check before boarding is sensible.
Return to the main cattery page for bookings, vaccination requirements and how the cattery works.
If your cat has medication, anxiety, dietary needs, senior health changes or a first boarding stay coming up, talk to us early so the arrangements are practical.
If something changes before boarding, contact us before drop-off so we can decide whether the stay can go ahead as arranged or whether your cat needs extra support first.
Cat-specific advice for appetite, toileting, stress, senior comfort and clinic visits.
Carrier, litter and environment support for cats at home.
Carrier and travel planning can make boarding drop-off easier too.
Watch our cattery preparation video.
